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International parliamentary delegation holds dialogues on the bicameral system in the Congress of the Republic of Peru

April 2, 2025 | Activity

In the framework of Peru’s recently approved transition back to a bicameral legislature—established through Law No. 31988 passed by the Congress of the Republic—a high-level international parliamentary delegation conducted an official visit to Lima on April 1-2. The agenda featured meetings with legislative authorities and a conference exploring comparative experiences with bicameral systems in Latin America. The activity was co-organized with International IDEA.

The delegation was composed of Chilean Senator Javier Macaya Danús, Second Vice-President of ParlAmericas and President of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network; Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico Graciela Ortiz González; Senator Alejandro Vega Pérez of Colombia; and Senator Omar Fernández Domínguez of the Dominican Republic, all of whom have extensive experience in both chambers of their respective countries.

During the visit, the delegation had the honour of participating in a regular session of the Constitution and Regulations Committee, as well as meeting with Congress President Eduardo Salhuana Cavides, who emphasized that returning to a bicameral structure is a crucial step toward strengthening democracy and enhancing the quality of legislation. He further highlighted the importance of collaboration and knowledge exchange with other parliaments in the region to ensure the successful implementation of this model in Peru.

The delegation also took part in the conference “Bicameral Experiences in Latin America,” which examined key aspects of bicameral systems, including inter-chamber coordination, the institutional design of committees, citizen participation, legislative transparency, and accountability mechaniasms. As part of the session, Senator Javier Macaya Danús noted that a well-designed bicameral system could improve legislative performance and ensure broader territorial representation and political pluralism. He also shared recent reform efforts in Chile aimed at enhancing the legislature’s democratic oversight role.

Member of Congress Rosselli Amuruz, ParlAmericas Board Member, accompanied the delegation throughout their engagements. As a co-author of the bill reintroducing the bicameral system, she underscored that this transition represents an opportunity to improve political representation and legislative quality. She also stressed the importance of learning from the experiences of other countries in the region to develop a model tailored to Peru’s specific needs and context.

These exchanges facilitated the knowledge sharing on legislative structures, lawmaking procedures, political oversight mechanisms, and parliamentary good practices, contributing to the process for developing the new internal regulations for the Congress of Peru.

This activity forms part of ParlAmericas’ ongoing support to legislatures across the region in advancing institutional processes and fostering legislative strengthening and regional cooperation through parliamentary diplomacy.